The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning surfaces, particularly on boards, sheets or laminates made of plastic for example, comprising a cleaning device having an upper strand and a lower strand as well as at least two guide pulleys or guide rollers. The cleaning device has the one strand acting as the cleaning strand applied to the surface to be cleaned and at the inner surface facing the guide pulleys or guide rollers said cleaning device is fastened to a supple carrier band or carrier belt capable of withstanding tensile stresses. The apparatus has a press-on device with a guide for the cleaning strand, by means of which the cleaning strand can be pressed onto the surface to be cleaned during the feed movement of the strand through the guide.
An apparatus of this character is known by way of example from DE-42 13 342 A1. Column 1, lines 11 to 14, describes such a cleaning device having bristles on its upper strand and lower strand, producing a continuous brush.
There is a certain problem with such apparatuses and cleaning devices if the cleaning device itself, i.e., the bristles in the specified example, are worn and therefore the cleaning device has to be replaced. In the case of the apparatuses known hitherto, the guides are of divided construction so as to permit the fitting of several uniform belts with bristles in side by side relation and so as to enable the replacement of such belts with bristles or comparable cleaning devices, as are also described in DE-42 13 342. By this means it can be achieved that the guide holds them securely and well and engages over at least part of their area, but nevertheless they can be placed in and removed from the guide by taking it apart. Apart from the elaborate assembly and the complexity of divided guides, a large amount of space is required for such divided guides due to the necessary fasteners.